Wales star targets UEFA Champions League football with new club Spurs... and expects mixed reception on his return to Swansea

Ben Davies in action for new club Tottenham in a pre-season friendly against Chicago Fire.
Action Images

Wales star Ben Davies has revealed it was a wrench to leave home-town club Swansea City but admitted the lure of playing UEFA Champions League football with new club Tottenham was too strong to turn down.

Davies joined Spurs in a £10m move with Mauricio Pochettino’s side targeting a top four Premier League finish this season to secure a place amongst Europe’s elite the following year.

The youngster says it will be strange coming back to the Liberty Stadium to play against his old club just before Christmas and accepts he might get something of a mixed reception.

Speaking for the first time since securing his dream move, Davies said: “I’ve already looked at the fixture list to see when the Swansea games are and it’s going to be a strange one coming back in December.

“It was strange for me just putting on the Spurs kit for the first time because I had been at Swansea for so much time.

“I am looking forward to coming back — it will be nice to come back to my club. Hopefully the fans will give me a half-decent reception, although I am expecting there might be a bit of stick.

“You just have to deal with that if it comes. For me, coming back is going to be a great day.”

Davies, speaking to the local paper, continued: “Everyone at Spurs has been great with me and it’s been pretty easy to settle in.

“I haven’t really had a chance to reflect on the move yet. When the interest first came in, it was flattering for me. I thought that if it was genuine , it would be something I had to consider.

“And in the end it was a move I I had to make because you don’t know when a chance like this will come round again.

“Swansea is my club and it is tough to leave the place where I came through the ranks, but everyone understands why I have done it.

“As a player you want to try to play at the highest level you can, and at Spurs the manager wants us to get into the Champions League.

“It’s not going to be easy, but that’s the target and that’s something that would be great to achieve.”

Davies disagrees with former Wales player turned pundit Robbie Savage, who argues Garry Monk’s men will be locked in a relegation battle this season.

Savage reckons Swansea, West Brom, Aston Villa, Southampton and Burnley will be down at the bottom and argues any three of those could go.

However, Davies maintained: “Swansea have made some good signings. The squad is looking really strong. Look at Wilfried Bony and Bafetimbi Gomis up front — I think they can do really well.

“When you look at it, I don’t see any reason why Swansea can’t push into the top half again.”

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